You won't take me
by eloiserules
Summary: Follow Veronica, a nine year old girl, on her quest for vengeance. She needs help from her imagination and all of the characters in her mind to find her mother while fending off guards and hit men sent after her. Who would want to harm her? Let's find out, shall we?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"My life is a horror all its own, but my children, you do not want to hear that story. Why don't we play a board game?" I offered my fifty year old hand towards the game wardrobe.

"Grama, if I play another stupid board game, I will die. And anyway, your story can't be that bad. Tell me." Sammie ordered. My granddaughter was a bit of a bossy person. My grandson, Micheal, was a very quiet young man. I haven't heard his voice in all of the time that I've known him. I met Sammie's fierce gaze with a cold glare that was unlike any look I've given her. She recoiled for a moment, startled by my sudden burst of emotion.

"If you want to hear about how I was hunted like a dog, shot, forced into labour, and tortured for the whole of my life, then so be it. You need to learn respect anyway. My legacy is one that you will remember as long as you live..."

In London, a small child was bundled up in rags, carried by a crying young woman. She glanced over both of her shoulders before continuing on down the street. Her baby was sound asleep, oblivious to the horrible scene occuring. The woman stopped at a random house, knocked on the door, and left the baby there, on the stoop. She ran from the house of her child's new dwellings with a trail of tears. The master of the house, a stout man with an evil aura surrounding him, came out and gave a sweep of the street, and looked down. He called for his misses and she came out, a similar aura with her. They glanced at the bundle and proceeded to have the following conversation.

"Leave it. The little runt will be just another mouth to feed." The old man stated.

"But sweetheart, when it grows older, the rat might be of use. All we have to do is train it. That shouldn't be too hard, am I wrong?" The lady-of-the-house grinned a yellow stained smile at her husband, and he contemplated it. Eventually he caved and they brought her in. They laid her in her bundles of cloth onto the floor to sleep while they also retired for the second time that night. Through the next eight years, her life was filled with misery, sadness, and constant lessons on behaviour always followed with harsh beatings, whether she was right or wrong. Her last day with the groushes was the fifth of December. She was cleaning the laundry in the kitchen because of the frost that covered the ground. Her "master" as he told her to call him, came home in a foul mood, as the misses of the house had just ran out on him with some other man. He gave a harsh glare at the little girl on the floor and decided that she wasn't worth any more of his time. He grabbed a knife from a drawer and ran the darling girl through, just as a policeman barged in. He had a warrant from the court to arrest the master of the house for many scandalous acts, but was met with a grousome scene as he arrived. He quickly drew his gun and shot the horrid bastard, and dragged the child to the hospital. She blacked out after this.

She awoke after three days and was terrified of the strange place surrounding her. Her first thought was to get up, find her way back home, and finish her chores, but her memories of her master's death slowly filled her brain. She wanted to cry over him, but found that she smiled instead. Where is that man that saved her? Where is any one? She finally took the time to glance at her surroundings. She was in a white room, with a window and pretty curtains, there were flowers and a teddy bear were on a table next to her, and the room smelled funny. She reached out to the bear and felt the soft fabric. She really wanted to hold it, but she didn't know if these were for her or someone else. True, there were no other patients in the room, but she was trained to ask before taking. She decided to let the bear go until someone came in. She settled in on the bed and tried to lay her arm on her stomach, but was met with a fierce shock that made her squeal slightly. She lifted her dress and looked at her belly. There were tons of bandages covering it, but blood still showed through. So this is what master did. I think it might be best not to go looking for anyone any time soon.

"Praise the lord!" The kid looked up in surprise and fear towards the door. There stood a nurse that was smiling and laughing. She rushed forward and grabbed the child's hand and was saying how happy she was. She finally got around to asking, "What is your name child?" She stared at the impaled girl in front of her. The young girl slouched and said, "Rat." The nurse jerked back a moment.

"Well, that shouldn't surprise me. Those parents of yours were terrible and probably would name you that. would you like a new name, darling?" Rat looked up at the nurse, contemplating it. If she had a new name, she could start over. The chores and such would all be left in the past, never to be brought up again. She eagerly nodded her head.

"Great! What would you like to be called? Violet, Cassandra, or maybe Hera, after the goddess?" The nurse looked eagerly towards the patient, and was given an answer.

"I've always liked Veronica." the newly instated Veronica said. The nurse smiled and walked out of the room, writing something down in a file. Veronica glanced around one last time before realizing that she had forgotten to ask about the bear. She called out for the nurse, but there was no answer. She eventually gave in to temptation and gently lifted the bear off of the table. The fabric that created the white, fluffy thing was the softest type of, well, anything she had ever felt. The purple, crinoline bow tied around it's neck scratched her fingers lightly, reminding her of the wool blanket she had been using all of her life. Her mouth tightened into a thin line and she untied the ribbon. She threw the harsh reminder on the floor, and snuggled up against the plush animal. Her mouth curved lightly, letting her new life and name flow into her, absorbing all of the good fortune she hoped would come with them. Veronica awoke to someone brushing hair over her ear and cooing her name softly. She opened her eyes and glanced up.

"Why is it so dark?" She asked, but no one was there to answer her. She wasn't with her teddy bear anymore, She was sitting on some type of glass, or a very reflective piece of marble. She stood up and glanced around. All around her there was just, darkness. No lights were on, no people were around, but she could see where she was and some one must have woken her, right?

"Hello? Is anyone around? Hello!?" She wanted to be back with her teddy bear, holding it and squishing it. Maybe this is a dream. I could go out the way I came in! She laid down on the floor again, but it wasn't long before she heard her name again. She kept her eyes closed and the voice got a little more furious. The whisper turned into a talk, the talk became a cry, and the cry became a wail. She whimpered but still wouldn't open her eyes. If she opened her eyes, the darkness would be back, and the voice would leave. The voice would leave! She snapped open her eyes and... nothing happened. The voice continued to wail her name, and she grew terrified. She covered her ears in order to escape the sound, but her frail hands were almost like paper, and did nothing for her. The voice grew louder and more constant, until it was shaking the floor beneath her. She finally broke.

"Stop it! Please just shut up!" The voice grew silent and she removed her hands. Veronica opened her eyes to find herself in the bed, tangled in sheets. The nurse was standing in the doorway with a tray that carried delicious foods that Veronica had never even heard of. The bear was on the floor, next to its bow, and the nurse finally leapt into action. The tray went on the table beside the flowers, and her hand flew to Veronica's cheek.

"Are you alright darling?"

"Yes, but were you yelling my name?"

"No, I wasn't. I walked in here and you suddenly burst out telling some one to shut up."

"I'm sorry ma'am. I must've had a nightmare." She slid back in her bed, trying to forget about the voice calling for her.

"There's no need to apologize Vv. I guess I'll just have to lower the dose of painkillers we give you. That may mean more sleep, but it will also result in you being uncomfortable."

"Please don't do that. I don't care about the nightmares, but I don't want to feel this constantly." She gestured to her wound.

"Well, alright, but if it gets too bad, tell me and I'll make sure they don't come back."

"Thank you miss. When do you think I can move?"

"I'd say not for a few days, and even then you'll be supervised." She grabbed the bear off the floor and handed it to her. She took it eagerly and sat up for breakfast. After eating, Veronica found herself itching to explore her new environment. She knew what the nurse said, but she still felt like getting up and moving. How could one trip around the room hurt? Then again, she was hooked up to an I.V., so without pulling that out, how could she move? She'll have to imagine moving, instead of actually doing it. There was an odd little box across from her bed that she had seen before, but never used. Her master and mistress had used it and funny pictures would flash on the screen with sound playing too. They had a littler box that they would use to change the picture, and it was covered with buttons. They had to have one here too, or else the patients couldn't watch the picture boxes. She looked around the room for the third time, this time she had a reason for it.

She found the little device on the table with her breakfast. That kind of reminded her of a book she had started to read once. 'Alice in Wonderland' if she remembered correctly. She had only reached the part where the vial appeared on the table before the master took it and ordered her to do more chores, but it was enough to relate to her situation. The master often pushed the red button before a picture would start, so that was the first thing she did. The television started up instantly, and a face appeared on screen. This face was bloody, bruised, and looked like it was already dead, but it said something softly. Veronica leaned in, and the head said it again. She recognized the voice, but she didn't know just where she had heard it. The head repeated it, louder each time, until she could understand it.

"Veronica! Veronica! Veronica!" She turned pale, and remembered her nightmare.

"No!" She screamed and threw the blanket over her head. How could this be? How could that monster be something she had dreamed of? And how did it get here. The nurse walked in right around then, and realized what was happening. she switched off the T.V. and ran to the eight year old's side. After she recovered from shock, she explained what had happened. The nurse held her hand, and after a week in the hospital, she was released to an orphanage.

In the orphanage, she was watched over constantly. Whether by a staff member, or by her new roommate. She was a newbie as well, as her mother and father had died in a fire. Her name was Jameson, but to Veronica, she was Mouse. She liked it when she was strong enough to play tag because of her speed and agility. When V was 'it' she could chase her and catch her before too long, and when Mouse was 'it', V could run circles around her, but only until the painkillers wore off. Then she would have to go back to bed. During the time that V wasn't able to play, but was still able to sit up, the girls would sit on the window seat and read the day away. V finally was able to finish 'Alice in Wonderland' and was slightly disappointed in the ending. If there were a world that were mad and that had a magical capability, then wouldn't she want to stay? She could be as free as she cared to be, but she chose the life where you had your life picked out for you. This was not V's cup of tea. She decided that perhaps she could write her own world. One that she could stay in forever, and that would be just for her, and Mouse, of course. She mentioned this idea to her dear friend, and Emmy loved it. They discussed topics varying from romance to macabre, but decided on a dark fantasy story, with bits and pieces of their lives sewn together. This would be their perfect world. They could still feel remorse for their loved ones, but to a lesser extreme, and drowned to near death by the fun and insanity of it all. Perfection at its peak.

The girls started the story in the orphanage garden. There were four tall oak trees, piles of beautiful roses and daisies, and a beautiful sitting area. The table and chairs were painted white and were decorated with a design resembling vines and tropical flowers. They started to plan out their story, but Mouse said something to stop V in her tracks.

"Hey V? Can we not plan anything?"

"What?" V answered, blown away by the idea. "How could we not plan a book? The twists and turns need to seem real, the chapters need to be longer than a page, and so on, so how can we not plan?"

"We can make all of that happen, but I want it to twist like our lives. Don't you remember? We have to tie in as much of our lives as we can in order to make this a good story. Everything we feel has to be real, so we can't plan the story if we don't know what's going to happen." Veronica thought about what she said and realized that she was right. They can't plan their lives, so how can they plan this? She closed her notebook with a snap, which startled Mouse.

"You are completely right M. I guess we had better go get good paper, huh?"

"Don't worry V, I 'll go get it!" She ran into the house to ask the supervisor for some money. After a while, V started to worry. She managed to stand up even though the painkillers were wearing off. With each step her stomach screamed for her to stop and collapse onto the ground, but she had to make sure nothing was wrong. She also needed painkillers, bad. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she reached the door. She was startled by a loud fire of a gun, followed by many more. She rushed in, forgetting the pain. She was met by a terrible scene. Jameson and everyone else were shot to death, and the assailant was running out the door. She screamed as loud as she could, and managed to attract his attention. He turned to face her and shot at her, the bullet landing in her right shoulder, knicking the bone. He ran out the door without a second glance.

Moments later, officials arrived and nearly lost their lunches. V screamed in agony for help, and the largest of the men dragged her to the hospital. For the second time, V passed out in a stranger's arms.

After awaking, V found herself in the same hospital as before, clothed in the same type of dress, with another stuffed animal on her table. Did they do this for everyone? The animal was a pink rabbit this time. She lifted her arm and gently lifted the new fluffy bunny off of the table, wondering why she was here. What happened to me now? She removed the ribbon again and placed it on the table, as she tried to recall what had landed her here again. She remembered struggling into the doorway after Mouse ran inside, but then she heard something. What was it? She could tell by her heart rate that she had heard something bad, but what? Her memory cut off right about there. Why couldn't her brain play in colour and sound? It was all black, white, and mute up there, just like always. She glanced around a moment, hoping to see some indication of her charts or such. She saw a notebook sort of thing sitting on the foot of her bed. She reached for it, grabbed it, and started to read about herself.

Her blood type was O+, she was eight, and her name was Veronica. She had blue eyes, black hair, and had been in their care before. She scanned over the information she knew and found a bundle of papers marked, 'Confidential'. Now what could be so secret about an eight year old girl named Rat? She glanced at the clock and realized the time. 3 am! No wonder no one was around. As long as she had time, she may as well get to know herself. She flipped on her light and closed the hospital door and slid the curtains around her bed shut. She undid the string holding the bundle together, and opened the folder.

"A young woman known a Rougue gave birth to a child, but has managed to hide her amongst the normal civilians of today's world. The child, formerly known as 'Rat', may be the spawn of this woman. Rougue was said to have died of heartbreak shortly after, but there are no official records of such thing. Rougue is wanted for many counts of fraud, bigamy, kidnapping, vandalism, burglary, and murder. If this child is Rougue's daughter, she will be used as leverage to find her mother. If not, the child may be sent back to an orphanage.'

After only that paragraph, Veronica felt like her whole world was crumbing. She might be the daughter of a criminal that even the F.B.I. wanted to catch! Her mother was a murderer! She curled up and whimpered slightly. She covered her ears as if someone were screaming at her that her life would be filled with big burly men shoving her around trying to find her mother. Her life would be the epitome of loathing, hate, and wretchedness, and how could it get any worse? She was already doomed to suffer for her mother's crimes even though she never knew her or ever thought she had a family to begin with! How could they do this to her!? Veronica was innocent! She needed to tell everyone that she would not suffer for Rougue's crimes and she will not tolerate any form of disrespect. However, V was not in much of a mood to do anything. she remained curled up until the morning when a doctor came in to check on her. he drew back the curtain and was met with a whimpering little girl and a stack of papers that were never meant to be read. He quickly bundled them up and tried to get her to talk, but she simply started to cry, or rather, howl. She bawled with a sound that resembled a wolf after losing a battle. After the doctor left to find a nurse she turned her cries into actual words.

"I'M INNOCENT! I'M INNOCENT! I DID NOTHING! NOTHING!" She screamed those words until she was given a dose of anesthesia and passed out.

After the incident, V found herself back inside the world in her mind. The reflective ground glimmered in the unseen light. She listened a moment and decided to see if she could talk to the voice.

"Hello? Are you there?" She called out. At first, there was no answer, but after a short pause, the voice responded.

"Hello V. I am here, as always."

"Always? I've never met you before, whoever you are."

"I am your sub-concious state of mind, calling to you."

"Can you take an actual form? It would be easier to trust what you say if you weren't an ominous voice in the dark."

"What do you wish me to be?"

"Well, if you are me, then you should know."

"Very well then. It has been decided." A fog appeared out of no where, and out of that fog, a cat appeared. Its fur was as black as the midnight sky, and was covered in what looked like zodiac animals. The eyes stuck out the most. They were orange, but moving. They resembled the deepest fires of hell and showed V paradise. She drew in a shaky breath.

"So, you are me, but if you only know what I know, then how can you help me? You'll freak out when I do, be clueless when I am, and probably end up in a mental ward with me."

"I am the side of you that is calm and serene. I do not respond the same to situations as you. I also can help you escape any traps set by the government, but only if you listen to me."

"What is your name, stranger?"

"I am Death. The very thing that has stolen what you love."

"What do you mean?"

"You do not remember what happened to Mouse for a reason. I do not wish to tell you or show you what happened, for it might jeopardize or mission."

"What mission?"

"To find your mother, V. To find Rougue."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

V listened carefully to Death's plan, engraving every word into her head. The last thing he said was, "If you wish to find your mother, you must embrace her past. If something moves, you must kill it. Your mother will await you on the other side of all this. Do you accept my help? If so, then I can give you the strength of the Anti-christ. If not, I shall leave your mind and never appear to you again. Do you understand that once you accept this, you have to make a blood oath to me and satan and that the contract will last all of your eternity?" V thought over this agreement. How could she make a decision like this now? She needed more time to think.

"How long do I have to make this decision?"

"I will give you three hours. You must not leave the sanctuary of your mind though. Those on the outside want to harm you for reading the information. Do you understand Veronica?"

"Yes sir. I understand."

"Then I shall leave you to your thoughts. You have exactly three hours from when I leave. If you make up your mind before the time is up, just call for me." A gold-encrested clock appeared and hung on air. He faded out of sight, but he said one last thing.

"Oh, and V, if you do decide to join Satan, you will be forced to kill as soon s you awaken." After that he was gone. She glanced at the clock that stood silent for a moment, then it started ticking. She sat cross legged and the mirrored floor. Was finding her mother worth all of the slaughtering? Would her mother accept her after all she had done? She was a murderer too, so she must be able to, but some people can not accept some one of their kind for they are afraid of even themselves. She clutched her hair, fearing for what her mind would tell her. She needed someone to help her make up her mind that was impartial to both sides. This was her mind, so couldn't she make one? She thought hard about her creature and finally, someone called to her.

"Veronica, I am here. Think no further of how to create me." She smiled and opened her eyes to be met with a beautiful wolf. She was blindingly white with heaven's eyes dyed green! The only imperfection on her fur would be a large, black picture in the shape of scales. She was Libra as she later introduced herself. they talked for two straight hours on how mothers were an important role model and how children needed them, however, that murder can damn you to hell. V brought up the fact that if she agreed that her soul would already be promised to hell. Libra responded with, "Then what's to lose?" V knew that her mind had been made up. She called for death and he appeared just as the clock left. he nodded to Libra and she did the same. V saw that one of the signs had disappeared from his fur. The Libra was gone.

"Have you made a decision Veronica?"

"I have sir. I will sign your contract, regardless of the consequenses."

"Very well then. Take the knife of satan's heart, and sign in blood." An ornamental knife with a black heart on the end appeared along with a piece of paper. She took the knife and slit her hand lightly. She took her hand and smeared the blood on her palm. She then placed her hand on the paper, leaving her hand print on the yellowing paper. It disappeared with the knife and something flashed. She opened her eyes to find a crowd around her bed. Most of the men were wearing suits and had blank faces, like that of a brainwashed bouncer. The doctor and another man were arguing over her and how much she had read. She sat up and one of the gaurds noticed her. He inturrupted them mid-sentence and gestured to her. They stopped when they noticed what the bafoon was talking about.

They ambushed her with questions, but before she could answer, something changed in her. Something pushed her out of the way and used her body as it's own, only she could still use her eyes. Something was controling her now. Something strong too. V closed her eyes after she found that she couldn't control her body. She knew very well what was about to happen to the doctors and she didn't want to see it. She heard the nice nurse scream and felt her hand slice into scream was followed by a gurgle like she was choking on blood. The only reason that V knew what that sounded like was because she had made the same sound when her master impaled her. A few moments later she was encouraging the beast to continue, hating the nurse for making such a hurtful sound. How could she bring up that memory? How dare she! V snapped open her eyes and saw the nurse covered in slick blood, dead on the tiled floor. She smirked in satisfaction. Serves her right, the little broad. After the others met the same fate as the nurse, she glanced down. There lay the bloodied bunny, smiling like it was covered in butterflies instead of crimson liquid. She lifted the toy off the floor and smiled as she ripped its head off. V had complete control now, and felt the same as before. She was the most powerful thing alive and no one could stop her from getting what she wanted. About then her morals and personality came back, and she screamed out of fear. What did she just do!? How could she possibly be proud of that!? She murdered the one person in this whole bloody place that cared about her! She deserved hell and all that it had to torture her with. She leapt back on the bed and curled up into a tight ball.

She felt someone next to her, and what felt like a paw on her cheek. She slowly lifted her head and met orange eyes, filled with fire, that showed her paradise.

Her feet slapped the linoleum floor of the hallway as fast as she could make them. Death had told her the plan, and now she had to go through with it. Her feet left prints on the white tile in crimson paint as she slipped. She regained her footing and continued on. Libra and Death were a few feet behind her. She could tell by the clicking of their nails. She skidded to a stop just before she smashed into another doctor. The two animals smacked into her legs causing her to stumble, but not fall. She squealed slightly as he grabbed her arm. Death jumped up on her shoulder and increased the fire in his eyes. He mumbled something quietly and the doctor froze. With one last phrase, the man went limp in the arm and twitched. Blood started to trickle from his eyes and mouth while V backed away.

"V, remember the plan. Run for the door." She followed his directions and headed for a back door that he somehow knew of. She burst through, not letting anything stop her escape. She ducked behind some dumpsters to wait for the coast to be clear. She panted and whistled for Libra, who quickly dove behind the dumpster and into V's arms. The young girl buried her face in the canines fur. She glanced at Death who was sitting on the ground staring at the two like they were idiots. She got a little frustrated, but decided to show him what it felt like to do what they were doing. She picked him up by the scruff of his neck and pulled him into the hug. He struggled at first, but he gradually gave up and let V show her compassion.

Once the staff had all rushed off trying to find her, she and the others darted out from their hiding place towards the residential areas.

She hid in an alley, the others skidding to a halt just before colliding into her again. They hid behind another dumpster to talk about where they were running to.

"V, we need to run someplace that no one could find us. Someplace that we all could fit in, or not be seen at all. " Libra stated, worried about being found.

"I know Libra darling, but I can't think of any where that's possible."

"Hey, girls? How about the woods?" The girls stared at Death for a moment before agreeing. Why? Not a clue. He pointed them in the correct direction and they set off at a steady pace, speeding up around officials. They stopped at a tall oak tree as far in as they could go before the sun heated them to a boil. Libra rushed off to steal some clothes for V. Death and V were left alone for the first time since before the pact. It wasn't that long ago, but it seemed like such a vast amount of time since then. She sat in front of him, a cat of grief, as a girl of no hope. Their eyes met, and they were claimed as equals.

Libra returned carrying a dress made of white cotton, with no real intricate embroidering or stitching, just a bit of lace along the hem. She changed into the simple cloth and set about making camp. Death went hunting while Libra and V made a lean to out of fallen debris. When Death arrived again, he was surprised at how much the girls had done as he was gone for about ten minutes.

"Nice work girls. Excellent speed and craftsmanship. I am quite impressed in your survival skills. V, while I was out, a thought occurred to me. You created Libra, and her symbol disappeared from my fur. Do you think that perhaps you could create the rest of the Greek zodiac animals?" V mulled this over in her mind, thinking of how this was even physically possible. Well, it didn't really have to be physically possible, because she had already done it.

"I guess, maybe, I don't know Death. Yeah, I did it once, but that wasn't me doing it. I signed the contract and murdered people, then you showed up. What was that any way!? I couldn't control my own body! How in the world did you manage to pull that off!?" V started getting angry. He never said anything about possessing her body, or whatever that was. He gave a long stare before answering, as if wondering how much to tell her.

"You signed the contract, so Satan used your body as he saw fit. All you did was give him more souls to torture. Wonderful, no?" He smirked at her, and she gritted her teeth. What is that bloody cat hiding!? She thought over what she could do to get him to talk. Well, torture was out of the question. After all, how do you torture Death? He's already been to Hell and back! She sighed and decided to keep an eye out for any weaknesses he might have. She crossed her legs and kept her eyes on the ground. If she didn't, she'd break down crying. The stress was a little overwhelming, and she had no one to coddle her. The was no one to hold her gently, like she had seen on the picture box, there was no one to tell her that crying was alright, and no one to whisper a lullaby in her ear before bed. She was the epitome of loneliness and she couldn't stand it. This wasn't a new feeling, it's just so strong now, and it's meaning is different. Less than a month ago she was sitting on the ground doing chores in the place that she had known her entire life. Sure, it wasn't a convalescent home, but it was the only one that she could think of now that had a structure and that was safe- or rather, safer- than now. V held back the tears with an impossible amount of willpower. She nearly broke a couple times, but only a little choke or whimper slipped past her brick wall. Libra slid to her side, resting her chin on V's arm. V wrapped her arms around her new friend, but she still maintained her impenetrable fortress of emotion. She clung to her beloved creation as a lifeline to reality. Without her lovely wolf, she'd jump from the nearest tree, and hope that no one caught her.

She glanced at Death, the same stare on his face as before, so she did the same as before. He hissed at the sudden altitude gain, but when he was embraced, he calmed down. Her arms cradled them both, hoping their heat would be enough to warm the deepest depression of which she was in.

V awoke in the shabby, run down little lean-to she had fallen asleep in. She no longer felt like crying, but she didn't want to smile either. How had this happened to her? How, in one month, did she go from an obedient little Rat, to the savage, uncontrollable anti-Christ? It all happened so fast. How was she going to find her mother if she couldn't find her life under the rubble of the past? V had created to animals out of her mind, slaughtered people, and was still sitting here living her terrible life. 'I deserve all that awaits me in Hell.' she thought.

"You know, if you keep going in that frame of mind, you'll never find her." V jumped as Death spoke.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I didn't until now." He smirked at her and she blushed at her stupidity.

"You know V, it is quite nice out here. No one could find us, and it's so fresh."

"What are you saying Death?"

"What I'm saying is how about we stay out here? If you create any more animals they could blend in too. I'll help you build an actual house out here and hunt, and Libra could take care of anything you need." Is he serious!? How in the world could we survive? We would need a place to cook food, a place to sleep, provisions, and God knows what else! We'd die before that happened! And what's this about him helping built a house? He doesn't even have thumbs!

"Death, I don't think that's possible. You can't necessarily build anything due to the lack of thumbs, and we would need provisions for all three of us and even you can't hunt that fast Death."

"I can hunt as fast as needed, as as for the thumbs well, just watch." His body started to grow and his bones started to crack and morph. His fur started to fall off of his body and was replaced with what looked like black cloth. When it was all over, he stood at met her gaze.

He was wearing a black suit with a red and black striped tie. His hair was black, along with his shoes, and a silver chain hung out of his pocket connected to his button. Probably a pocket watch. His eyes stayed the same though, just without the cat eye look to them. V drew in a quivering breath and stepped back. He looked about twenty five, and she didn't know how to react to this. He grinned, stepped forward, lifted her up, and carried her over to Libra. She squealed slightly and Libra woke up. Her first reaction was surprise, then it became anger. Libra snarled at the stranger and was ready to pounce on him.

"Who the hell are you and why are you holding my baby V!?" V was startled by her reaction. Baby V? She was a mommy? To V? Of all the creatures and children in the world, this angelic canine chose her to mother? V started to cry over the joy that she was experiencing. While Death put her down and explained everything, V cried with a smile on her face. She belly crawled over to Libra and snuggled against her underbelly. Libra leaned down to her ear and asked her what was wrong. V didn't answer, but Libra seemed to understand by her smile and tears of joy. Libra continued her conversation with Death and V slept in her shaded warmth.

When V woke up, she found herself in a better lean-to that looked as if it actually required skill. She moved her arm to rub her eyes and felt something soft move. She sat up and found that she was sleeping on a pile of soft silk blankets. That wasn't all either. She looked to either side and found Libra and Death sleeping on both sides. Libra had changed too. She had beautiful blond hair and a nice, white dress on. She was holding V's hand. Libra was holding V's hand! V nearly squealed out loud but simply gave an inward laugh. They both were adorable when they were asleep. She laid down between them again to enjoy a few more moments of rest and happiness.


	3. Chapter 3

Death built an actual house for the three of them, but the lean-to remained standing as a fort for V. Veronica considered her situation, andrealized something. Swas had a family! Death was a _very_ unwilling, yet understanding father figure, and Libra was the overly compassionate, smothering mother! What more could a child ask for? Her lips curled in a wide grin before reality hit her.

Death was just a creation, and was going to send her to Hell, and Libra... Well, God knows what she is. Death was forcing her to murder and search for a mother that hadn't wanted her in the first place. Why did she obsess over this Rougue character in the first place? Now she was going to be stuck with a criminal when all she wanted was sitting here, in the little house in the woods! Her smile fell and she took on a depressed aura.

She stopped eating and drinking, she barely slept, and she often wholed up in her room, sulking. Libra went into a panic, cooking up feasts in hope that V's appetite would return, but it was in vain. Death simply ignored everything, or so it seemed. On the inside, he was terrified by V's new habits. He hid his concerns behind a book and a look of indifference. V crawled back on her bed, still upset that after gaining this wonderful, yet disfunctional, family, she'd lose it in a heartbeat. She needed someone to listen to her and understand the pain in her chest. With that thought, she fell asleep.

When V awoke, she whowl snuggled against something warm. She shifted and felt cloth. V cracked an eye open and nearly fell off of her bed in surprise. A little girl was asleep, curled in a ball. She was wearing a black dress, a mask covered in black feathers, and her cheeks were stained with tears. She hiccuped in her sleep and shifted in the bed a bit. V ran from the room and got her "parents" from their rooms.

They all just kind of stared until the new creation awoke. She rubbed her eyes and made eye contact with all of them before jumping into V's arms. V fell to the floor from the impact, and instantly the new girl sat up and did hand motions.

"Is she deaf?" Libra asked. The girl shook her head wildly.

"She must be a mute. Am I correct?" Death guessed. She nodded, the same, sad frown on her face as before. The all moved to the kitchen and the girl got paper and a pen. Her name was Aries.

Aries told them all her secrets and how she had lost her ability to speak. She said that when she was young, her best friend committed suicide, but before she could, she asked Aries to sing to her. Aries, at that time, didn't know why her friend was so sad, but when her voice faded into the end of the lullaby, her friend slit her own throat. From then on, Aries felt like she was trapped in her body, a little bird held back by shackles. V finally understood her new friend. She was mourning, so she gave up her voice, and since when did caged birds sing. The paper Aries had been writing on was stained with her tears and V held her close to her body.

Aries cried herself to sleep on V's shoulder. V laid her down on the bed and walked back to the others. She had some business with Death to attend to. They needed to discuss how he had managed to control her body without her consent or understanding of how he used the power. They also needed to reach an understanding on whether or not V could trust him. When V reentered the kitchen, Death was reading a book and drinking a coffee. She settled herself on the barstool next to his and waited for him to acknowledge her. It took a minute, but he eventually realized that the little girl was seated next to him. He marked his place in the book and set the coffee down. His eyes met hers, and she was wary of him, but she didn't shy away. He was her creation and she wouldn't let him make a fool out of her. She continued to meet his gaze as he explained how, when she had agreed to his contract, she became nothing more than a vessel. The anti-Christ would use her body from time to time as a way to murder to keep the soul levels high in Hell. Also, the fact that she agreed to kill anyone in order to find her mother, but never specified that she wanted her mother alive, she kind of walked into that one.

Death offered to escort her through the forest as a little walk to clear her mind and she accepted. He transformed back into the flame-eyed cat they all knew so well and the two headed out. They stopped around V's favourite area and talked about nothing in particular. She mumbled about the weather and he responded as he should. Nothing to deep. The little chat was interrupted by a shuffle off to the side a bit. The two stopped their conversation and Death's ears perked up. Moments later, a couple hunters broke through the underbrush and saw V. The shared some words between each other about what to do about her and her cat.

"Who is she, Don?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?" The still unnamed man turned to her and sized her up.

"Well hello little kid, and who do you belong to?" V twitched at those words. Was he implying that children were property?

"May I ask what you're implying with that, sir?" She mimicked Death's stare.

"What do you mean darling?" She gave a snort. Darling? Who did he think he was?

"I am referring to the statement 'Who do you belong to?' This implies that I am an adult's property. Also, I find the name 'darling' a bit offensive, as you have taken the right of giving me a pet name without my consent. Now, I'll be leaving." V turned on her heel and tried to leave, but Don grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving. Death jumped on him and hissed, but Don just shook him off and didn't even give him a chance to possess him! V was being dragged against her will, calling for Death and Libra, but to no avail. Death skittered off in the other direction, leaving V alone. She screamed and clawed trying to break free, but it was no use. This man was going to take her, whether she agreed or not. She eventually gave up in trying to escape, but didn't let him carry her or something as degrading as that.

V held in her sorrow for later, but all of the emotional stress was tiring her out. She stumbled for another mile before the other man offered to set up camp. She collapsed to the ground and rested her aching limbs. When she opened her eyes, she noticed a fox den next to her. Her eyes went wide and she tensed. What would happen if the fox smelled her? Would it come out for dinner? Her first reaction was to warn the others, but her mind switched from the childish thought to a more devious one. She crept towards it quietly, as to not attract her 'companions' attentions. She took a ribbon out of her hair and threw it in. Nothing happened. No mother fox came bounding out, no father fox attacked the group, nothing. V slid closer and listened. There wasn't even the squeak of babies in there. She reached into the hole, deeper and deeper, until her hand hit the soft earth below. Damn. It was abandoned. She sighed and sat up.

Suddenly, a new thought occurred. What if she could fit in there? She was minuscule compared to the men, and the hole was deep enough to hide her if she curled up right. Her eyes flicked back to her kidnappers. They were both fussing over a tent and arguing loud about pretty much anything. She considered the fact that she might be able to run for it, but the would notice such a rash movement. At least this way she was more subtle. She flipped around and stuck a foot in. She shuffled back until she was up to her waist in the hole. She continued in this manner until she was curled up at the bottom.

Right about then, one of the men turned around and discovered her absence. He and the other one ran off in search of her. She counted of the seconds they were gone until it had been about five minutes. She peeked over the lip of the crevice and saw no one. She stood up a little higher to get a better view. She jumped when she felt something brush her ankle. She whipped around and saw a little baby fox playing with her foot. She leaned down and petted it's head. The sweet thing was nearly starved to death. This must have been the runt of the litter and was abandoned when the family left. Poor thing. V lifted the little creature and held it to her heart. She peeked out of the hole again and made sure that no one was around. When the coast was clear, she slid out of the cave, holding the baby gently. Her eyes skimmed the surrounding forest and searched for any indication of harmful intentions.

The ball of fur in her arms nuzzled her and she smiled. This little thing was alone too, so she had to take care of it. She rushed off in the direction of home with the baby fox in her arms. There was a caw of a raven and Veronica stopped. Aries landed on her shoulder softly and snuggled against her neck. V stroked the bird's neck and held her close. Aries noticed the baby fox in V's arms. She eyed it warily, but decided not to question her mama.

"Aries, do you remember the way home darling? One caw for yes, two for no." Aries responded with yes. She flitted from branch to branch, leading V home. When they came to a part of the forest she told Aries to go home and rest. The young girl did as was told and glided through the breeze. V hopped from one boulder to the next as she crossed a stream and waved to passing fish. She smiled at the fact that she was going home again. She started to hum a sweet little tune she had made up as she walked. She considered what fabric she should use to make the baby's bed and how much to feed it. As her mind flew from one subject to another, she realized that she could smell something sweet. Some sort of pastry. She rushed home to see what delight Libra had cooked. She burst through the door and skated into the kitchen. Libra had just pulled out a batch of biegn-yays from the oven and was sprinkling on powdered sugar.

Death came running into the house almost a split second later. He had reverted back to human form and looked out of his mind with fear. When he realized that V was standing right in front of him, he fell to his knees and pulled her into a deep hug. She pushed him away and set the baby fox down, then hugged him even harder. He whispered that he was sorry for letting them take her so easily. He apologized over and over until V whispered back, "I never blamed you." He held her even closer to his heart and V realized that he was shaking. She pulled back to look at his face and saw the little tears streaming down his cheeks. He, Death, was crying because he thought he had lost V. What had happened?


End file.
